After the 2019 Japan Tour, FC Barcelona will travel to the United States where they will close their 2019 pre-season with two games against Napoli; on August 7 in Miami and August 10 in Michigan. The American public will see a double-header between the current champions of LaLiga and the runner-up in Italy's Serie A.
Ernesto Valverde's team will play the first game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, the same stadium where, in summer 2017, Barça played the first Clásico in the United States and won by 3-2. Three days later, both teams will meet each other again but this time it will be at the University of Michigan Stadium in the town of Ann Arbor, home of the Michigan Wolverines. This stadium is the largest in the country, with a capacity for 107,000 spectators.
Barça Fest Miami
The trip will also include a series of social and institutional events, among which will be Barça Fest Miami. This will take place in the Bayfront area and will be held on August 6, the day before the game, between 6.00pm-10.00pm (Miami time). This party will include various fun and games, entertainment activities with a Barça theme and a stage where Play NSkillz and Pedro Capó, author of one of the summer hits, Calma, will perform.
There are also several events and meetings planned with the clubs in the United States and Central America, as well as activities with some of the country's Barça Academies, the latter with the participation of the former player and current Barça ambassador, Juliano Belletti.
Third visit in three years
It will be the first time that FC Barcelona visits the United States in three consecutive pre-seasons and the ninth time in history. The first, in 1937, was for the survival of the Club. More recently, in 2017, the team played three games in New York, Washington and Miami. Last season they visited Los Angeles, Dallas and San Francisco, in addition to a stay in Portland, and it was a joint tour for the first time with Barça Women.
From the point of view of the global implantation of the Barça brand, the American market is a priority territory. That dynamic has seen the club have a permanent office in New York since 2016, in order to generate a larger quantity of new supporters in a market which is a strong industry and in which the competition is very strong.
FC BARCELONA PROGRAMME
Monday, August 5
1.00pm* FC Barcelona expedition will take charter flight IB2811 to Miami (*CEST)
4.50pm** FC Barcelona expedition arrive at Miami airport (** US Time)
Then, transfer to the Hotel East Miami
Tuesday, August 6
10.00am Social Tournament Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 at 77 SportBar, in Coral Gables, with the presence of the member of the Board of Directors Javier Bordas, the CEO of the Social Commission, Josep Maria Barnils, and the Ambassador of Barça, Juliano Belletti.
6:00pm Start of Barça Fest Miami at Bayfront Park
6:15pm Press Conference at the Hard Rock Stadium with the participation of two players
7.00pm Training at the Hard Rock Stadium. Open to the media for the first 15 minutes
Wednesday, August 7
10.00am III Pan-American Meeting of Supporters Clubs in the Sabadell Financial Center in Miami, in the presence of Josep Maria Barnils, Chief Executive Officer of the Social Committee
7.30pm FC Barcelona - Napoli FC at the Hard Rock Stadium
Thursday, August 8
10.00am Departure of the rest of the expedition on the MIA 641 charter flight to Detroit
10.30am Juliano Belletti clinic at the Barça Academy in Orlando
1.05pm Arrival at Detroit and transfer to the Graduate Ann Arbor Hotel
6.00pm Training at the University of Michigan Soccer Stadium Memorial. Open to the media for the first 15 minutes
Friday, August 9
4.15pm Press conference at the University of Michigan Stadium with the participation of the coach and a player
5.00pm Training at the University of Michigan Stadium, open to the media for the first 15 minutes
Barça Academy Activities
10.30am Juliano Belletti clinic at the Barça Academy in Columbus
4.00pm Juliano Belletti clinic at the Barça Academy in Chicago
Saturday, August 10
5.00pm Napoli FC - FC Barcelona at the University of Michigan Stadium
9.00pm Departure on the 5Y8572 charter flight to Barcelona
Sunday, August 11th
10.45am* Arrival at Barcelona airport (*CEST)